Trust
by Built on the Horizon
Summary: After watching thirty police officers get brutally killed, Sarah Conner immediately trusts the man that she was told was crazy. Why? A short clip between pushing the car off the road and stopping in the tunnel.


**Trust**

Trudging through ankle deep muck, Sarah Conner had time to watch the strange man leading the way. Since she met Reese, all that she wanted to do was look at him, but seeing those eyes that had seen too much frightened her, made her feel like she knew next to nothing in the ways of the universe. Here, at least, she could gaze at Reese without his penetrating eyes finding hers, even if all she could see was his back.

'_Reese,' _Sarah thought, _'who are you? What goes on inside your mind?'_

She found herself wondering, is this man really from the future? Will all that he has said come to pass? Or is the simple fact that he is here is changing the future? Is Reese mad?

An animal stirred in the bushes. Sarah jumped and Reese tensed as well. Realizing the noise was not threatening, he picked up the pace, but Sarah didn't know that, she just kept walking and looking at the forest. Reese had seen a tunnel near the side of the road from a distance, and insisted on resting there for the night. Sarah needed a rest, and readily agreed to the idea. Unfortunately, he didn't want to walk so close to the road, so an easy fifteen minute walk became an hour's trudge through the wood. Sarah gazed upward, trying to find a glimpse of stars. After failing miserably, she brought her eyes back to the path. Her heart skipped a beat. The cloaked figure that was leading the way had vanished. Panicking, she began to run.

'Reese!' she called, desperately. Her foot caught on a tree root and she fell to the ground. Wincing, she tried to get up, to her surprise; Reese was already at her side.

'Are you alright?' He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Sarah nodded, looking up at the soldier. He seemed to be very concerned about her well-being, and fair enough, his entire future and the fate of humankind depended on her survival, but she felt something else; like he wanted her to be alright for the sake of her being alright.

'I'm fine,' Sarah pulled herself into a sitting position with her back against a tree, 'I just need some rest.'

'We don't stop.' The small crack in Reese's amour had sealed and the warrior was all that remained. 'The tunnel is about half an hour out. We'll rest there for the night.' He stood and surveyed the surrounding area.

'Just ten minutes.' Sarah negotiated.

Reese sighed, 'Five. Then we keep moving.'

Sarah smiled at her small victory. Reese walked in a circle around their temporary camp, setting a perimeter and checking for danger.

'Reese? Can I talk to you for a moment?' Sarah asked. Reese sank into a squat across from her, keeping a hand resting on the pocket of his coat that Sarah knew to hold a gun. Sarah began, 'How do I know that you're not crazy like the policeman said, that you're not using this, this psychopathic killer to fuel your own paranoid delusions?'

Reese sat in silence for a second, and then straightened like he had just remembered something, 'Ask me something.' He said, 'Something that your son would know.'

Sarah cocked her head, 'What's my birthday?' She asked.

'March 23rd.' Reese sounded like he was reciting his own birthday.

Sarah frowned, 'Mother maiden name?'

'Anderson.'

'Pin number?' Sarah tried.

'2287.'

'See? Now I know you're just a stalker.' Sarah stood. 'I would never tell my son my own pin number so he could use my credit card.'

'John had that figured out too,' Reese explained, 'you taught him how to hack into most computer mainframes, naturally, he figured out you're pin number first.'

Sarah smiled, 'How do you know all that?'

Reese shrugged, 'You told John what you asked, and John told me.'

Sarah turned and stared out into the bushes, resting her head on the tree trunk. She sighed, 'Oh, Reese, why do I trust you?'

'I asked the same thing of John Conner when we first met,' said Reese, 'he was trying to get me to join the soldiers, even though I was too young.'

'And what did he say?' Sarah was interested.

'He said that gut feelings do not need a shred of evidence, but they are usually right. Instincts and emotions are part of what makes us different from the machines; it is something that they will never have, no matter how tough they build themselves, and that is what will make us win this war.' Reese recited, sounding like they were words that he had pondered over for many years.

There was a long silence, the stillness of the night was oppressing and every sound echoed.

Reese stood, 'We should keep moving.' When she did not move, he took a step closer, 'Sarah, we should leave.' He was suddenly aware that her shoulders were shaking silently, 'Sarah?'

She turned to show a tear stricken face.

'It just set in. All those people,' she forced out between shuddering breaths, 'the, the policemen, the other Sarah Conner's, Ginger, all of them, are all dead, because of me. If it wasn't for me, they'd still be alive, I killed them Reese.'

'No!' Reese grabbed her shoulders, 'It wasn't you. It was the Terminator; he killed them, not you. Don't you ever, ever forget that!'

Sarah used a sleeve to wipe her face, 'They are still dead.' She said simply. Bending her head forward, she softly cried into his shoulder.

Reese wrapped his arms around her back and let her sob, 'I know.' He whispered.


End file.
